“If they can’t start a meeting without you, well, that’s a meeting worth going to, isn’t it? And that’s the only kind of meeting you should ever concern yourselves with.”
This quote from Buddy Ackermann comes from …

The ever-better quality and availability of internal and external data is enabling companies to predict their future with increasing accuracy. In the next phase, those predictions will be used to support – and perhaps even …

The announcement by tyre manufacturer Michelin of its plans to close its factory in the Scottish city of Dundee, UK, has come as a very unwelcome surprise to employees and the wider local community. Workers …

Given the rapid advancement in the capabilities of analytical software, the long-held dream of fully automated supply chain planning seems to be within reach at last. According to several consultants at McKinsey, ‘no-touch planning’ will …

Mercateo has developed a tool that breaks down the costs of the various types of purchasing processes and provides insight into currently untapped savings potential in indirect purchasing. By focusing on digitalization, the process cost …

In our attempts to anticipate future changes in demand, we often depend on forecasts. Unfortunately, however, they are rarely reliable in practice – with all the implications that brings. The ‘good news’ is that we …

“The enemy of a good plan is the dream of a perfect plan.”
Carl von Clausewitz (born 1 June 1780, died 16 November 1831) was a Prussian general who served in the Rhine Campaigns (1793–1794), including …

Founded in 2013 in Delft, the Netherlands, by Tonnis de Boer (CEO, pictured) and Marcel Matthijs (CTO), Tradecloud is based on the belief that technology and big data analysis can help companies to improve their …

Where should you board the digitalization roller coaster? Gartner’s hype cycle shows a steep climb followed by a drop to the trough of disillusionment. How can you keep sufficient momentum going to emerge from the …

The immense rate at which technology and innovation accelerates leaves many in supply chain breathless. As executive vice president for global supply chain operations of Schneider Electric, Mourad Tamoud aims to keep pace by implementing …

PepsiCo Inc. in the USA has signed a multi-year supply agreement with Loop Industries Inc., a leading technology innovator in sustainable plastic founded in 2015 and based in Montréal, Canada. The deal secures production capacity …

Audi has become the first car manufacturer worldwide to receive certification from the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI). The certificate has been awarded for the sustainable battery housing of the Audi e-tron.
The ASI Performance Standard certification …

In line with its motto, ‘Shipment made simpler’, FretLink connects shippers and carriers through software as a service (SaaS) and a mobile application for drivers. It not only provides more visibility for everyone in the …

How relevant is blockchain in a supply-chain context? Based on what I’ve heard this year at various international supply chain congresses, opinions differ. Alexander Bahr, Director Supply Chain Information & Integration at McDonald’s, referred to …

Logistics companies around the world face a global challenge: imprecise addressing. Large sites such as factories, warehouses or events spaces often have several access points, making specific drop-off locations or delivery entrances extremely hard to …

75% of companies believe that spending time and resources to improve their ground transportation will directly help sales. These and other findings – from a DHL Supply Chain survey of more than 200 transportation decision-makers …

Industrial companies in Europe regard artificial intelligence as one of the main drivers of growth, in particular due to the opportunities it offers for greater efficiency, flexibility and differentiation. That is a key takeaway from …

The efficiency with which retailers manage their processes at the beginning and end of their supply chain logistics are key to their survival. That claim is made by Zetes – a specialist in identification and …

In an attempt to further limit the impact of food safety scares and product recalls, US retail giant Walmart is introducing a blockchain database for lettuce and spinach products.
In around a year’s time, Walmart will …

With its new generation of Internet of Things (IoT) sensors for supply chains, Pharox offers easy-to-manage systems that are scalable, transferrable and can fit into a standardized process. The supplier is responding to the need …

“The future is already here – it’s just not evenly distributed.”
William Ford Gibson (born 17 March 1948 in South Carolina) is an American/Canadian science-fiction novelist and writer of more than 20 short stories and ten …

Urbantz was founded in Brussels, Belgium, by Jonathan Weber (photo), Michael Darchambeau and Melanie Applincourt in 2015. Their aim was to make the first- and last-mile delivery business sustainable in cities by improving efficiency, reducing …

The bullwhip effect is not only one of the best-known supply chain phenomena, but also one of the most damaging. By increasing the upstream variation and uncertainty, it pushes chain partners ever-deeper into the so-called …

Gartner and Supply Chain Media have teamed up for the 4th time to research supply chain leaders’ views on supply chain practice and technology. These are some questions the supply chain respondents will come across filling …

A ‘hard Brexit’ could likely cause car manufacturer Toyota to temporarily close its UK production site at Burnaston, said Marvin Cooke, managing director of the plant, when speaking to the BBC on 29 September. Over …

Supply Chain Management is dead, according to a recent report by Harvard Business Review. But before everyone starts polishing up his or her CV, it’s anything but, retorts Chris Tyas, Senior Vice President Supply Chain, …

Against the backdrop of an ever-increasing number of data breaches, with a record-breaking 2.6 billion incidences last year according to the latest research, companies need secure devices that protect sensitive data and guard against online …

Blockchain holds great promise. It is predicted to result in faster, more transparent and more efficient supply chains that are possibly fairer and more sustainable too, so it’s not surprising that everyone is talking about …

DCbrain is a publisher of network optimization software for complex networks (including gas, water, electricity and heat as well as logistics) based on big data and artificial intelligence (AI). The team is headed up by …

International third-party logistics service provider DSV A/S signed and closed a deal to acquired 100% of the shares in multi-channel fulfilment specialist S&H, on 4 September 2018.
Based in the Netherlands and employing approximately 120 people …

What is the best way to prepare students of supply chain management for a future career in the industry? The answer: by giving them access to the information in Supply Chain Movement to enrich their up-to-date …

Belgium-based logistics software company Alpega has acquired freight exchange Wtransnet to expand its footprint in southern and western Europe. With the addition of Wtransnet, Alpega is growing its carrier network to significantly more than 70,000 transport …

The adoption of supply chain software accelerated significantly worldwide in 2017, according to research and advisory firm Gartner. The total market grew by 14% last year to reach a total revenue of US$12.2 billion, compared …

“Good artists copy, great artists steal.”
A quote from Steve Jobs (1955-2011), an American entrepreneur and business magnate. He was the chairman, CEO and a co-founder of Apple Inc., as well as chairman and majority shareholder …

Everoad wants to revolutionize the road freight industry by utilizing technology and digitalization to connect shippers with carriers, and has been likened to the ‘Uber’ of European trucking. The online platform facilitates the booking process, …

How can companies find out whether – and how – they can use cool new technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in their supply chains? There are already several practical applications …

Jean Marc Lechene of Vestas has been ranked as the most influential supply chain leader in Denmark for 2018. Supply Chain Media arrived at that conclusion by applying its tried-and-tested methodology to produce the second …

Driven by big and global developments and specifically in supply chain management, continuous learning should be seen as a continuous process. Since each individual and organisation is unique, developing and implementing effective learning programs is …

According to a recent survey into the use of advanced analytics, 30 percent of supply chain leaders regard the need to respond to customer mandates for faster, more accurate and unique fulfilment as a top …

Swiss food manufacturer Nestlé SA is involved in a project to trial the use of blockchain technology. The key aim is to improve the transparency of the worldwide food-ingredient supply chain, and hence to strengthen …

“Catch the goat when it’s passing” is one of my favourite Chinese sayings, and it is particularly apt when you’re looking to source new products or materials in China. Even after conducting thorough desk research …

Amazon has been busy lately. After entering the grocery delivery market with Amazon Fresh and buying Whole Foods, it is now in the process of launching its own supermarket, Amazon Go. These moves have many wondering if …

“If you can dream it, you can do it”
Walt Disney (born in Chicago on 5 December 1901, died in California on 15 December 1966) was an American entrepreneur, animator, voice actor and film producer who …

According to a study into wind turbine supply chains, wind turbine manufacturers do not sufficiently know where the minerals they use have come from and hence are unaware of possible violations of human rights in …

Logistics problems at the Swedish fashion retailer H&M contributed to a 22 percent drop in net profit in the second quarter of this year. H&M’s profit has now fallen for four consecutive quarters. Another factor is …

Everysens is a supply chain optimization platform intended for asset-intensive industries. The start-up harnesses the power of IoT, big data and artificial intelligence (AI) to boost assets’ fleet performance for small businesses and very large …

“Technology frightens me to death. It’s designed by engineers to impress other engineers. And they always come with instruction booklets that are written by engineers for other engineers – which is why almost no technology …

Founded in Paris, France, in 2014, Shippeo is a real-time transport visibility platform providing shippers, carriers and logistics providers with instant access to predictive and real-time information about all deliveries. Based on a self-learning, proprietary …

A key characteristic of integrated business planning (IBP) is the involvement of the financial director in the monthly planning cycle. Sometimes, the financial director may even be the initiator of an integrated planning approach – …

With a score of 75 out of 100 points, Intel currently leads the way in tackling forced labour in its supply chain, according to the 2018 Information & Communications Technology Benchmark study by KnowTheChain. HP and …

JDA Software Inc., a leading provider of end-to-end retail and supply chain solutions, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Blue Yonder, the market leader in artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for retail. This acquisition reflects the increasing …

Scania recently won the Greener Supply Chain Award for its environmentally friendly transport operations in Germany and the Benelux countries. The prize was presented at the first-ever Automotive Logistics Awards ceremony, which was held on …

In late June 2018, Magnitude Software, Inc., a leader in delivering unified application data management to global organizations across industries, announced the acquisition of Every Angle Software Solutions, a business analytics and reporting specialist that …

Alpega, a logistics software supplier and the owner of companies including Teleroute, recently acquired the Swedish firm TenderEasy to further improve its ability to meet the transport management needs of carriers, freight forwarders, logistics service …

Who is the most influential supply chain leader in Germany, Austria and Switzerland (the ‘DACH’ region)? To answer this question, Supply Chain Media applied its methodology to produce the Top 27 Supply Chain Executives in …

Founded in August 2017 in Winterthur, Switzerland, LuckaBox’s vision is to become the largest on-demand supply platform for deliveries and warehousing in Europe. Its mission is to enable retailers and e-tailers, particularly in the Fashion, …

Givaudan, the global leader in flavours and fragrances, began its long journey of innovation and acquisition 250 years ago. From its beginnings in Grasse, France, in 1768 to the recent Naturex acquisition, the company works …

A growing number of companies that have implemented Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) are now taking the next step towards Integrated Business Planning (IBP). This means that the likes of the Finance and Strategy departments …

In May 2018, the Material Stock Logistic Command of the Dutch Army signed a letter of intent to cooperate with Dimanex – a provider of a cloud-based, end-to-end service for distributed 3D manufacturing through a …

“Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.”
Warren Buffett (born 30 August 1930) is an American businessman and investor. He is the long-serving chairman (since 1970) and CEO of the company Berkshire Hathaway …

There is a strong chance that Volkswagen’s production activities will face interruptions this autumn as a result of tighter European standards for passenger cars. According to the car manufacturer, the inspection bodies lack sufficient staff …

Joost Donkers has become the new ambassador for the Dutch supply chain management discipline. The Director of End2End Supply Chain in FrieslandCampina’s Ingredients Business Group was named as winner of the Supply Chain Professional of …

The supply chain digitalization trend is spreading further into the warehouse. During the World of Material Handling event, forklift manufacturer Linde presented various digital applications aimed at improving the efficiency and convenience of working with …

Companies are increasingly facing new threats from the depletion of natural resources or ‘natural capital’, according to Allianz’s analysis of over 2,500 companies. In a report titled ‘Measuring and managing environmental exposure: A business sector …

It is amazing how fast things are developing and how quickly the number of options is expanding: Apple’s Siri, Google’s Assistant, Amazon’s Alexa, Alibaba’s Genie, etc. Who would have believed ten years ago that a …

Germany-based start-up Cargonexx is a European pioneer in the use of artificial intelligence in road transport and is the first digital freight forwarder to operate an intelligent transport network. Founded in Hamburg in 2016 and …

Seven years ago, Mark Andreessen wrote his now-famous essay called ‘Software is eating the world’. He predicted that all companies will become software companies and that organizations that fail to adapt rapidly enough will go …

“Outsourcing is inevitable, and I don’t think it’s necessarily treating people like things.”
Stephen Covey (24 October 1932 – 16 July 2012) was an American educator, author, businessman and keynote speaker, born in Salt Lake City, …

The results of an inaugural survey published by Apics, an American association for supply chain management, in May 2018 reveal a substantial wage gap between men and women within the field. The 2018 Supply Chain …

Talented and ambitious, Sabine Simeon-Aissaoui was in full flight when an unsuccessful project, which she initiated in China, knocked her confidence. It gave her time to regroup, think, and come back with renewed energy and determination. …

The topic of sales & operations planning (S&OP) continues to receive plenty of attention from supply chain professionals. As far back as 2010, I reported on it as a ‘hot topic’ and noted that conference …

Few companies nowadays would deny that innovation is crucial to their long-term survival, but innovation doesn’t just happen by itself – as Lego knows from its own bitter experience. Fons Trompenaars, keynote speaker at inNOWvate: …

Sustainabill GmbH was founded in Cologne, Germany, in 2017. The strong, multi-disciplinary founder team includes a sustainability expert, a data and requirements analyst, a full stack developer and machine learning expert and a former global …

At BYD Europe’s first-ever supplier conference, held at the BYD bus and truck plant in Komarom, Hungary, the focus was on helping to integrate increased local sourcing into the bus production activities and building a …

Stimulated by the ongoing rise in the number and range of the customer requests it was receiving, especially about the manufacturing of its products, Dell Technologies decided to improve its transparency as part of demonstrating …

“It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.”
Henry Ford (30 July 1863 …

In an announcement on 23 May, UK grocery giant Tesco has partly blamed high fulfilment costs for its decision to close down its non-food website Tesco Direct. After conducting a detail review of Tesco Direct, …

The Swiss start-up Luckabox was chosen as winner of the first-ever European Supply Chain Start-up Contest on 24 May 2018. The competition for European start-ups is organized by Supply Chain Media, publisher of the Dutch …

Founded in 2017 by Coen de Lange and Remko Been, Stockspots connects organizations that need warehousing space and services with organizations that have surplus space and labour availability. From a single platform, users can manage …

Design thinking can help SMEs to improve their attractiveness to Chinese business partners. And innovation and co-creation can save companies up to €200,000 and ten weeks of product development work. How? Heidi Larsen reveals all …

Earlier this month, two publicly listed companies saw the price of their shares fall sharply following reports of inventory issues: Cardinal Health Inc., a US-based wholesaler of drugs and medical supplies, and Under Armour, an American sportswear manufacturer.
Cardinal …

The digitalization of supply chains is posing new challenges for companies. What possibilities does digitalization offer? Which technologies should they implement? How can they utilize the data they gather to add value? For the answers …

Burberry has pushed the boundaries on innovation and design since Thomas Burberry invented gabardine in 1879. This waterproof, breathable material formed the basis for the iconic trench coat that was first worn by military officers …

People are mostly creatures of habit, so changing behaviour can be a challenge. Stefano Picasso, head of global operations and supply chain management (SCM) for Siegwerk, one of the world’s leading suppliers of printing inks …

Out of the 26 entries from across the continent for the first-ever edition of the European Supply Chain Start-up Contest, ten companies have now been selected to progress through to the second round. This means …

Iiyama has entered in a long-term strategic partnership with logistics service provider Geodis, who will provide the Japanese manufacturer of computer monitors with an end-to-end solution in the Netherlands.
From now on, Geodis is taking care …

In the first quarter of this year Segro, a UK real estate investment trust and owner, manager and developer of more than six million square metres of logistics real estate for light industrial distribution activities …

The traditional boundaries between sectors and industries are blurring, or even vanishing, due to the increasing digitalization of business globally. It's now much easier for new digital players to enter - and completely transform - …

What impact could blockchain have on supply chains? In my opinion, a very big one. In principle, this encryption technology that enables data to be shared securely has the power to finally solve two major, …

Rimi Baltic replenishes 263 stores in three countries, seven days a week. As the Baltic food retailer gradually outgrew its central distribution center (DC) in Riga, the efficiency and effectiveness of this logistics operation came …

Nowadays, big data is a ubiquitous topic in the business media; everywhere you look, the financial newspapers and magazines are filled with articles telling you how big data can be transformed into valuable insights. Over …

When it comes to freight, audit, and pay (FA&P) in the transportation business, many shippers still resort to manual processes when managing their freight costs across transportation flows and all the parties involved with them.
Unfortunately, …

Peak pressure (like Christmas, seasonality in fashion and Black Friday) is quite a challenge for companies who are active in the fashion ecommerce sector or even in e-commerce in general. The increasing demands of the …

Are you passionate about supply chain management? And are you keen to stay up to date on the very latest European developments?
Supply Chain Movement puts the perfect mix of supply chain-related facts & figures, trends …

BSI's Global Supply Chain Intelligence Report provides an overview of the top supply chain threats and trends by region to help organizations increase their visibility and understanding of potential exposures within the supply chain. In 2016 …

The automotive supply chain is a large, complex operation that requires sophisticated management techniques, substantial information technology expertise, and close coordination. logistics service provider dsv and supply chain movement have created a mind map for …

Most companies with a Transport Management System (TMS) in place have a wide range of transport data available to use in transport optimization efforts or as the basis for transport tenders. Without access to external …

Many companies face the same dilemma: should they do e-commerce themselves or outsource it? And should they outsource only their logistics activities, or also customer service and marketing? So when is outsourcing the right solution? …

Understanding the characteristics of a best-in-class Demand Orchestration process is important to determine how to improve your company’s demand planning capabilities.
A forecast is a projection of future business: a request for product and resources that …

After years of oscillating between shortfalls and surpluses and the necessary chaos and frustration that entailed, calm has recently returned for one of my clients and his supplier. How come? They simply turned off their …

Risk of over-reliance on current business models
Where can we find the new technologies and business models that are going to dominate our market? That’s the question many companies are asking themselves now that new disruptions …

Incidents are forcing companies to rethink more regularly
The result of the Brexit vote, the bankruptcy of Hanjin, the attacks on foreign firms in Ethiopia – numerous recent incidents illustrate that supply chains are under pressure. …

Machine manufacturers suffering from high costs and long unreliable lead times can make huge gains in terms of competitive edge if they manage to resolve the so-called ‘service paradox’: from relatively slow, unreliable and inefficient to reliable, fast and efficient.
By …

In today’s rapidly digitalizing world, companies can be divided into two categories based on their speed and agility. On the one hand we have the traditional firms and large multinationals that, just like oil tankers, …

In an edition of the Dutch newspaper Het Parool dated 17 February 1967 I came across a full-page advertisement in which the high-end Amsterdam department store De Bijenkorf proudly announced its 26 (!) collections per …

“Implementing a major change only makes sense when the company is ready for it,” says Perry Buenen, of Canon europe. He joined the company nine years ago and soon recognised the need to transform the …

Key lessons from the second IMD Global Supply Chain Survey
The second edition of the IMD Global Supply Chain Survey examines how organizations rate themselves on 20 important trends in supply chain management. It shows that …

Global competition is forcing companies to optimally manage the orders they have scored. Supply chain execution software can coordinate the necessary alignment process between the various systems within the network. Together with MPO, supplier of …

There was a high level of interest in the ‘Feminization of the Supply Chain’ event among female supply chain leaders. On 7 and 8 March, around 35 women from various corners of Europe gathered together …

Gartner is currently researching the representation of women in supply chain roles at different levels in the organization, for the second consecutive year.
The analists are trying to answer questions such as: How many women are …

Over recent years the Internet of Things (IoT) has caused some major changes to the world of consumer goods, but it’s how the IoT is evolving the supply chain that’s really grabbing attention today.
By Ian …

On 16 February, I attended the Ready for Growth event in The Hague, The Netherlands, organized by World Startup Factory. The morning programme was ‘looking east’, which is what many start-ups do when searching for …

Trucks waiting cause frustration, safety risks, additional costs and disruptions in the supply chain. Dock scheduling is the solution for these problems and much more:
Increase visibility and predictability
Create a lean and agile supply …

4th SCM Consulting Subway Map Europe
The market of supply chain consulting is growing in Europe. Niche consulting firms are becoming more international and are opening new offices across Europe and in the USA. Following on …

Just as the ongoing digitalization is dramatically altering the face of business life around the world, so too is the need for strategic advice changing. I recently heard from a supply chain director at a …

In an amazing twist, technology is rendering the old fundamentals of supply chain management obsolete. In Russia, Adidas increased sales in Moscow by double digits in 24 hours, thanks to a supply chain initiative. At …

“Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress; working hard for something we love is called passion,” is one of the many pertinent quotes by Simon Sinek, the renowned author and popular …

Tesla’s mission to produce sufficient electric vehicles to force change in the automobile industry is accentuating its focus on lithium ion battery production. With planned production of at least 500,000 cars by the end of …

Companies in Europe will invest more in supply chain technology in the coming years, with no less than 71 percent of the companies surveyed expecting to increase their spending for 2018. They feel compelled to …

On September 1 Henkel purchased the laundry and home care company, The Sun Products Corporation, in the USA, an acquisition that took it to second position in the North American laundry care market. With a …

Even if companies have a clear corporate strategy, they rarely translate it into a clear supply chain strategy. The standard strategy and supply chain models fall short in this respect. New models are emerging based …

You’d imagine having few worries working for the world’s largest media company which regularly brings out box office hits that boost its entire business. Last year Star Wars: The Force Awakens become the highest grossing …

Fifth edition of the european SCM Map Europe
Whereas other regions in the world are struggling, Europe is delivering sustained – albeit modest – economic growth. According to the World Economic Forum, no less than six …

Get more out of your production
Effective production management contributes to achieving the company goals. However, manufacturing companies regularly face challenges such as disappointing customer experiences and excessive costs. All too often it becomes apparent that …

Research by McKinsey in 2011 revealed that just 35 percent of companies have a successful strategy which enables them to beat the competition. And only 20 percent of companies explicitly interconnect their strategy, product portfolio …

Who are the most influential supply chain executives in Europe? Which leaders are truly shaping their organisations and can be seen as a poster child of the supply chain universe? For the second consecutive year, …

According to independent studies, the average out-of-stock (OOS) percentage ranges from between four and eight percent worldwide. This is resulting in billions’ worth of lost sales plus dissatisfied shoppers and trading partners. The costs of …

Supply chain management professionals have been searching for how their discipline adds strategic value for years. It’s similar to the quest for the ‘holy grail’ that will give the supply chain director a position on …

Peri Group, the German formwork and scaffolding specialist with operations around the world, has won the Supply Chain Management Award 2016 in Germany. The multinational sells, rents and refurbishes formwork and scaffolding systems for construction …

In order to be successful nowadays, companies must combine an efficient mode with an agile mode. That was the overarching message from research and advisory company Gartner during its supply chain conference in London in …

Preparing for potential effects is more effective than predicting future events, according to Chris Caplice from the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics. He was speaking on 19 October 2016, when European supply chain leaders …

“I’d do more online shopping if only I had a working doorbell,” quipped comedian David Mitchell recently. Indeed, it is laughable that trivial issues like this can scupper what should be a straightforward process of …

Digital technology is disrupting traditional business and their supply chains. The Internet of Things, big data analysis, Augmented/Virtual Reality, 3D printing, and robotization will have a huge impact on the supply chain strategy. The main …

Logistics service providers in Europe appear to be struggling to benefit from the current economic growth and e-commerce boom. Increasing complexity and rising customer demands are both driving the need for investment in IT and …

OnTruck is a cloud-based booking platform and mobile app that connects shippers and carriers. The company was founded by Íñigo Juantegui (pictured) in Madrid, Spain, in 2016. OnTruck envisions the future of short-haul road freight …

To achieve greater supply chain visibility and explore opportunities for optimization, the company SPG Prints enlisted the help of logistics consultancy firm Groenewout, who created a model of the existing supply chain and analysed various …

Brexit, China and USA impact on supply chains in Europe
Uncertainty and lack of clarity on Brexit are dictating the mood for companies in Europe, despite solid economic growth. Trade conflicts, especially between the USA …